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When you get into the larger aircraft it becomes like a hotel, with dozens of staff supporting the plane based in a galley area down below. You have very comprehensive cooking facilities, and on larger aircraft we have looked at theatres, with spiral staircases and a Steinway grand piano.

It’s not every day you get to share sushi and spring rolls with one of the world’s most iconic actors, and I have dined out on the story ever since. Though John Travolta and I were hunched over a low table and the wasabi dip was making my eyes stream, I felt entirely at ease thanks to his friendly, down-to-earth manner–which perhaps explains some of his phenomenal success.

You don’t have to spend much time with George Antoniadis to figure out why he has achieved success with PlaneSense, the fractional-aircraft-share company he founded in 1996. Granted, he was probably in the right place at the right time with the right airplane, the economical Pilatus PC-12 single-engine turboprop.

Fred Reid, who is known for his exceptional command of English, is also fluent in French, German and Hindi. He has lived in seven countries over 36 years and held prominent positions at four major airlines. He was the first U.S. national to lead a major international carrier, Lufthansa German Airlines and also was the founding CEO of Virgin America.

To begin to understand the grand experiment that is Tony Hsieh’s life, read two books. One is his own Delivering Happiness, a Path to Profits, Passion and Purpose, which explains not only how he built Zappos and his previous company but also his philosophy of over-the-top customer service. (The book debuted at No.

Kenn Ricci is the principal of Directional Aviation Capital, which owns Flight Options, Nextant Aerospace, Constant Aviation and Sentient Jet. He is also the author of the leadership book Management by Trust. Little-known fact: Ricci was Bill Clinton's pilot when he ran for president in 1992.

Sitting in a Bombardier Learjet 45 at California’s Palm Desert Airport near Palm Springs, tennis champion Novak Djokovic outlined the approach that has kept him at the top of the game and made him a hero in his native Serbia.

John Bingham, president and CEO of Piaggio America, is known for his directness and candor. He joined Piaggio in 2010 and has since overhauled the image of the brand while focusing on the Avanti's coolness factor.